Summary

• Die Hard quotes showcase thrilling aspects, humor, and iconic characters in the classic action movie.
• Memorable dialogue in Die Hard sets up the heroic everyman McClane and the dastardly Gruber as compelling characters.
• Die Hard's amazing dialogue, beyond its action sequences, solidifies its place as a top action movie with iconic one-liners.

Though one of the greatest action movies of all time, the best Die Hard quotes also highlight its superb screenplay. The classic follows Bruce Willis' John McClane, a New York cop who attempts to reconnect with his estranged wife at a Los Angeles corporate Christmas party only for it to be taken over by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his band of thugs. The story sets up a thrilling action story, but viewers likely didn't expect such memorable Die Hard quotes.

The most memorable quotes in Die Hard exemplify the movie's thrilling aspects, its humor, and its iconic characters. From the heroic everyman McClane to the dastardly yet dashing Gruber to the many colorful side characters, they all pop with great lines. Some of the dialogue has gone down as classic action movie one-liners while others are reminders of how many great Die Hard quotes remain overlooked. Far more than just action sequences, the movie that kicked off Bruce Willis' greatest franchise should also be honored for its amazing dialogue.

25 "Fists With Your Toes?"

John McClane (Bruce Willis)

That bit of advice sets McClane up to be even more vulnerable

The first moments of Die Hard set John McClane up as a more relatable action hero than the action heroes in the 1980s played by actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. McClane is shown to be a nervous flyer, and that is something noticed by the man sitting next to him on the plane. The man offers some advice to ease the tension after a flight by removing his shoes and socks and making fists with his toes.

While that piece of advice might work for some, giving them something else to focus on instead of their fear of flying, king of like a stress ball giving a person a place to focus their anxiety, it ends up causing McClane more difficulties later. That bit of advice sets McClane up to be even more vulnerable as he then faces the action of the rest of the movie in bare feet.

24 "Who Said We Were Terrorists?"

Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman)

Modern movie audiences know Adam Rickman as Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter franchise, but before he started mixing potions and playing a double agent in the Wizarding World, he had a variety of roles under the belt of his wizard's robes. One of his most memorable is as the villain in Die Hard. Alan Rickman adds so much to the movie with his performance as Hans Gruber, including his deceptive plan.

When Gruber is introduced, he seems to be a stoic and gravely serious threat. However, behind closed doors, as he interrogates Mr. Takagi, he is shown to be more playful, albeit still dangerous. When Takagi learns that Gruber and his men are really after the money, he questions what kind of terrorists they are. Gruber laughs at the notion of them being terrorists and immediately, Gruber and his dastardly plan become a lot more interesting.

23 "I Want Blood."

Karl (Alexander Godunov)

While Hans Gruber is the more memorable and intelligent villain in the movie, he is far from the only villain in Die Hard. After all, McClane spends most of the movie's runtime battling the people working for Gruber. Karl is a perfect action movie henchman as he presents a more physical threat to McClane than Gruber.

While Gruber only really cares about taking out McClane so that his plan is not jeopardized, once McClane kills Karl’s brother, the giant killer is solely on a path of revenge. The moment when Hans has to subdue Karl as he yells for blood is pretty terrifying. It shows the audience that this man no longer cares about the money that he has spent so much time working toward. He has decided he will bring down the entire building in order to kill McClane.

22 "If You Are What I Think You Are, Then You'll Know When To Shut Up, When To Listen... And When To Pray."

Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson)

Without Powell, McClane would be even more in the dark.

Though they only speak over walkie-talkies for the duration of the movie, Al Powell is a huge to McClane during his one-man mission to save the day and a true fan-favorite of the Die Hard franchise. While the rest of the police on the ground are skeptical about McClane or simply want him out of the way, Powell sees him as a hero. Even with all the doubt around McClane, Powell is willing to trust his gut and sees McClane as their best hope of resolving this situation the right way.

Throughout the movie, Powell and McClane are the only ones able to give one another insider information. Powell can keep McClane informed about what the police force is doing on the outside, while McClane can offer information on what the criminals are up to on the inside. Without Powell, McClane would be even more in the dark.

21 "Why The F*** Didn't You Stop 'Em, John? 'Cause Then You'd Be Dead, Too, A**hole."

John McClane (Bruce Willis)

Part of the reason why it is a good thing that there was never a Die Hard prequel was that McClane’s heroics at Nakatomi Plaza feel like the first time he has ever been in a situation like that. Though he thinks quickly on his feet and he seems to work out what is happening easily, he makes mistakes and isn't completely prepared for what he's facing.

That is another way the movie helps to cement McClane as a different kind of action hero than those who came before him, one who is not always the toughest guy in the room and can get scared at times. After watching helplessly as Gruber executes Takagi, McClane has a moment where he doubts himself and his failure to act before reassuring himself that he doesn’t want to be dead as well.

20 "Twas The Night Before Christmas, And All Through The House, Not A Creature Was Stirring, Except... The Four A******* Coming In The Rear In Standard Two-By-Two Cover Formation."

Theo (Clarence Gilyard Jr.)

Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? Or simply an action movie that happens to take place during the holidays? Though fans can debate if Die Hard should truly be considered a Christmas movie, there is no denying the holiday setting gives the movie a special flare of fun. It is fun to see the tropes typically seen in Christmas holiday movies repurposed for an action story.

When the police SWAT team attempts to storm the building, one of the villains, Theo, watches their movements on the security cameras and lets his teammates know what they're up to in the form of a cheesy Christmas story. Specifically, he riffs on the classic children's tale "'Twas The Night Before Christmas," which has been parodied and homaged in music and movies many times before and after this instance.

19 "Nice Suit. John Philips, London. I Have Two Myself."

Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman)

Just as John McClane was a different kind of hero for the action genre at the time, so too was Hans Gruber a fun new kind of villain who was later copied endlessly. Alan Rickman brings a brilliant sense of sophistication to the role that is in perfect contrast to McClane. If McClane is someone who will pull the cleanest t-shirt from the top of his dirty laundry pile, Gruber is someone who will make sure his outfit is perfectly tailored, matching, and pressed.

After making his intimidating entrance at the party, Gruber takes Mr. Takagi in the elevator where his intense demeanor suddenly changes, and he compliments the man's suit. It is the first hint that Gruber is not a mindless thug but rather someone who knows just what he wants and how to get it.

18 "Thanks For The Advice."

John McClane (Bruce Willis)

...out of context, it doesn't seem like anything special.

There are quite a few obvious iconic action movie one-liners in Die Hard that remain unforgettable. But as evidence of the movie's quality, there are also some brilliant one-liners that often get overlooked by action movie fans. After McClane hesitates to shoot one of the villains, the bad guy overpowers him and is ready to take John out. As a way of taunting his target, the villain suggests he should never hesitate to pull the trigger. McClane then guns the man down and offers his gratitude for the helpful advice.

Of course, when this Die Hard quote is seen out of context, it doesn't seem like anything special. It's only once fans of the movie have the context of the scene in which it occurs that it truly leaves an impression on the audience.

17 "I Read About Them In Time Magazine."

Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman)

Even with all the exciting action, Die Hard knows to maintain a fun sense of humor as well, even with its villain characters. Though Hans and the others pretend to be hardened terrorists with a list of demands, they are really only interested in getting the money in their hands. Hans has little respect for the police outside, sending in his fake list of demands just to toy with them.

When he mentions getting the of a group called Asian Dawn released from prison, his henchman Karl questions him, and Hans its he simply took the idea from a news article. It's a great way to show the audience that he can find a way to distract the police from the most innocuous of places. It's also a way to demonstrate that he keeps up with current events, since not everyone reads Time Magazine.

16 "Now I Know What A TV Dinner Feels Like."

John McClane (Bruce Willis)

In a lot of crime dramas, more specifically heist movies, running around in air ducts is made to look incredibly easy. Characters just slip right through them. This is typically accomplished, at least in modern cinema, by building fake vent systems to accommodate both the actor and the camera operator on a sound stage. No one is really going to be effortlessly gliding their way through a ventilation system. Die Hard understands that.

One of the most iconic images in Die Hard is John McClane cramped inside an air vent and cracking jokes to himself about his claustrophobic situation. It was yet another way McClane helped to usher in a new form of action hero. Instead of being the kind of hero who is effortlessly cool as he saves the day, McClane continually found his situation getting worse and worse. Not worrying about making the hero look dignified at all times was a surprisingly effective strategy.